When I get a new client who comes to me and tells me that this is their first book, I’m always curious as to the amount of work it’s going to need. Sometimes we have to start at the very beginning and work on their plot structure, their character and conflict development, and their dialogue, if they’re writing fiction; if they’re writing nonfiction, sometimes we start with the organization and the development of their ideas and lessons they’re trying to teach.
Once in a while, I’m amazed by how well a first book is done. Sometimes they don’t need that developmental help because it’s such a strong draft; we can move right to line editing, to polishing the words themselves and how they’re put together.
What makes the difference between the draft that needs a lot of help with the big picture and the one that doesn’t? I think it’s a mix of different things, but I think it often comes down to how much the author has studied the writing process itself as well as how much they’ve read. Whether you’re taking a class (or two or three) or you’re part of a writing group, or you’re simply reading, reading, reading to try to learn how others write successfully, you have to continue to learn and grow. Continue reading
